By Kang Seung-woo
The government plans to designate May 6 as an official holiday to give workers a four-day break starting from Children’s Day on May 5, which falls on Thursday of next week.
The move comes as part of efforts to boost consumption and revitalize the economy, according to Cheong Wa Dae, Tuesday.
The plan will be approved in a Cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday.
On Monday, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) proposed the idea of a day off to the government, saying a four-day weekend will help spur consumption.
“We accepted the idea considering that Labor Day falls on Sunday,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said.
Last year, the government designated Aug. 14 a temporary holiday, the day before Liberation Day, to boost consumption hit hard by the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) as well as drum up a festive mood for the 70th anniversary of the nation’s independence from Japanese occupation. Aug. 14 fell on a Friday.
According to studies, sales increased by some 1.3 trillion won during the three-day weekend last year.
Such a temporary holiday has been designated three times here ― to mark the opening of the Seoul Olympics on Sept. 17, 1988; to celebrate the national football team’s semifinal berth at the 2002 FIFA World Cup on July 1, 2002, and on Aug. 14 last year.